Probation staff improve compliance

Probation staff have achieved record rates in complying with procedures for managing offenders on parole, the Probation Service said today.

The rate for June was 88 per cent, which bettered the previous high of 84 per cent in May.

Community probation and psychological services general manager Katrina Casey said the latest figure continued a trend of improved results.

It had been achieved in often challenging circumstances, with staff managing some of the most difficult people in the community, she said.

The trend had been further reinforced by the figure for staff compliance in relation to a subset of parolees who were considered to be high risk.

The requirements on those staff were more stringent, but compliance was 81 per cent in March, compared with 51 per cent six months earlier.

Ms Casey said the results were significant because they were being achieved while the bulk of the additional 134 probation officers funded through this year's budget were being recruited.

"These staff are essential because having them on board means that we will have the right level of staff to undertake the necessary procedures to manage the actual volumes of offenders we are responsible for," she said.

"This will take some of the pressure off existing staff and allow them the time they need to do their jobs well."

Ms Casey said the management of both parole and home detention would receive another boost next year when 112 further probation officers were recruited.

This would increase the amount of time that staff could spend working directly with offenders.

In the year ended June, the service managed 66,635 new sentences and orders, 41,357 of which were managed at any one time. The overall total for the year was 105,430 sentences and orders.

- NZPA